Rotary engine



'(No Model.)

P., L., & H. VANBRIGGLE.

Rotary Engine.

Patented Au .531, I880.

INVENTOR: -iW/' BY Vrm fin ATTORNEYS.

N.PETF.RS: FHOTO-UTHOGRAFHER, wAsHmGTqN. mt;

UNITEn STATES PATENT Grinch,

PETER VANBRIGGLE, LEWIS VANBRIGrGrLE, AND HENRY VANBRIGGLE, OF

KEMP T ON, INDIANA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,871, dated August31, 1880. Application filed May 1 3, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, PETER VANBRIGGLE, LEWISVANBRIGGLE, and HENRY VANBRIG- GLE, of Kempton, in the county of Tiptonand State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, durable, andeconomical self-governing rotary engine.

The invention consists in regulating the supply of steam to the engineby forcing air from the steamcylinder into a connected airchamber tooperate a cut-off valve therein, in-

J creased speed of the engine causing a corresponding reduction in thesupply of steam.

Figure 1 is a'front elevation of the engine,

partly in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation on line a; :12,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an ele- "ation of the rear plate of theengine-cylinder,

showing the interior eccentric. plan view on line 3 y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts.

In the drawings,A represents the body or cylinder of the engine, on theinner face of which, around the driving-shaft B, is an oblong eccentric,O, formed by a corresponding channel or groove, a, made in said face.The shaft B passes centrally and horizontally Fig. 4 is a through theengine body or cylinder A, and

rests in suitable bearings b on the outside of the said case A, and haskeyed uponit, within the said case or body, a wheel, D, constructed intwo circular sections, 0 c, that are set together face to face, eachsection being pro vided with peripherally-grooved flanges d d, as hereinshown, in the grooves of which flanges suitable paokingrings f areplaced. The section 0 of said wheel D is provided with four equidistantsockets, g, extending from its periphery to its bore, and with an equalnumber of radial slots, h h, cut through its outer face, andcommunicating respectively with said sockets g.

E E represent four rectangular pistons or gates, whose round orcylindrical ends, properly packed, are entered into the radial sockets gg of the wheel-section 0, while their rectangular portions projecttransversely across the faces of both wheel-sections c c and close downin the peripheral sockets i 2'. These pistons or gates E E areheld inposition and their radial movements restricted by the studs F F, thatare entered through the radial slots 7th into the cylindrical ends ofsaid pistons E E, and are adjustable thereon, and said studs arepreferably provided about their necks with anti-friction rings orcollars for the purpose ofdiminishin g their friction against the eccen-6o trio 0 or the sides of the groove to when the engine is in operation,the heads of said studs F F being engaged in the channel or groove towhen the partsare in position, so that when the wheel D revolves thepistons or gates E E are moved in or out in turn by the engagement oftheir corresponding studs F F against the upper edge of the channel orgroove (0 and against the lower edge of the eccentric C, respectively,while at the same time the rectan- 7o gular portions of the said pistonsE E engage successively at each revolution of the wheel D against theconcave face of the adjustable abutment G, and are thereby forcedinward, and so held until they have passed said abutment, when saidpistons E Eare forced outward fully across the annular steam-spacebetween the periphery of'the Wheel 1]) and the inclosing engine cylinderor body A by the eccentric G, as set forth. This abutment Gis 8ofurnished with two perpendicular ports or passages, 70 76, one on eitherside, that may be used at pleasure for the supply of steam to the engine-cylinder, or for conducting air from said cylinder A to theconnecting air-chamber H, the port lo being used for the one purpose,while the port It is used for the other. This abutment G is verticallyadjustable by means of the set-screws Z 1, that are entered from the topof the cylinder A, so that a tight joint may 0 always be maintainedbetween it (the said abutment) and the wheel D. Intersecting these ports70 lcin theabutment G, atapoint j ust below their connection with thevalve-chamber L, are the lateral ports or passages m m, that, 9 5extending in opposite directions, connect with the vertical and paralleltubes I 1, that themselves connect at their upper ends with thehorizontal tubes 1 I, which enter opposite sides of the air-chamber H.10o

L is the valve-chest set on'the top of the abutment G, which extends outof the cylinder A, and within the chamber L of said valve-chest L is thesliding valve M, that is operated by means of the rod M and lever M toopen and close the ports k k at will, opening one when closing the otherof them. Within the air-chamber H, that in this instance is set abovethe valve-chest L, is a piston, N, whose rod N projects downward throughsaid chamber H and into the said valve-chestL and over the steam-supplyport 0, so that it may regulate or govern the supply of steam to theengine, and about said piston-rod N, between the piston N and the bottomof the chamber H, is a spiral spring, P, that operates to hold up saidrod N, so that the steam-supply port 0 shall be open to its fullestextent.

The lateral ports or passages m m are provided with valves n a, that areoperated synchronously in opposite directions by means of gllleirconnecting-rods 0 0 and connected lever II Q represents the exhaust-portof the engine. Steam entering the supply-port 0 when the parts are inthe position shown in Fig. 1 will enter thevalve-chamber L, and thence,through the steam-passage 70, into the enginecylinder, and operate uponthe left-hand piston E, making the wheel D revolve in the direction ofthe arrow in Fig. 1, As this piston E reaches the exhaust-port Q thesteam behind said piston is exhausted through said port Q. Continuedrevolution of the wheel D carries this piston around, and the air thatsaid piston presses in frontof it is forced up through the passages k m,valve n, connecting-tubes I l, and into the air-chamber H, to operateupon the piston N, to press said piston N down, so that the piston-rod Nshall cut off a portion of the steam-supply through the supply-port O.

The higher the speed of the engine the greater will be the force withwhich the air is forced by the moving pistons E into the airchamber H toregulate the steam-supply. In the top of this chamber H is a valve orcock, p, by means of which the pressure of air within said chamber maybe relieved at any time, so that the cut-oft device shall be fully orpartially effective or wholly inoperative at will.

By moving the lever M" in the opposite direction the moy ement of theengine will be reversed, the steam then entering the cylinder throughthe passage 70, while the air is forced from the cylinder through thepassage 70 and its communicating pipes into the air-chamber H.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. In a rotary engine, the abutment G,provided with steam and air ports or passages k m m, substantially asherein shown and described.

2. The combination, with the cylinder A, provided with eccentric G, ofthe wheel 1), provided with sliding pistons or gates E E, abutment G,provided with steam and air passages k k m m, and ainchamber H and itsconnections, provided with piston and rod N N, substantially as hereinshown and described.

' PETER VANBRIGGLE. LEWIS VANBRIGGLE. HENRY VANBRIGGLE. Witnesses:

T. A. BALLENGER, M.-D., W. A. GREEN, M. D.

